Man who drove stolen car at gardaí gets six years

A man who drove a stolen taxi directly at a Garda checkpoint and later swerved towards a patrol van after gardaí ran to avoid being hit has been sentenced to six years for this and other offences.

Gary O'Brien (aged 22) was spotted by gardaí driving at speed and moving from one side of the road to the other while they were carrying out alcohol testing at the checkpoint in Rathmines. They indicated to the driver to slow down but he refused to do so and gardaí had to jump out of the vehicle's path.